The 9 Dirtiest Players in the NBA Today

From Dwyane Wade and Steven Adams to Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia, these are the dirtiest players in the NBA today.

Sometimes, the spirit of competition can get the best of NBA players, leading to normal human mistakes that they later regret. But sometimes, players go into games with an agenda and are determined to cause trouble in any way they can. There’s a difference between competitive and just plain dirty. In NBA history, we’ve seen guys like Metta World Peace, Bill Laimbeer, Charles Oakley, and Bruce Bowen flat out cross the line in order to retaliate or make a statement. Even some of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett have had their share of dirty plays.

Today’s NBA is less physical and more sensitive than it was back in the day, but the dirty plays are still present. From groin shots to unnecessary hard fouls, we’ve seen a variety of bush league antics from players. Zaza Pachulia, for example, has never dominated NBA headlines for his actual skill, but he has dominated them for his countless cheap shots. Most recently, his name was back in the news after he got into it with Russell Westbrook during a game against the Thunder, which led to Westbrook saying Pachulia is "for sure" a dirty player.

Gilbert Arenas and the Out of Bounds crew discussed Pachulia's dirty play on Monday's episode and also touched on some of the other dirty players in the league this season. Scroll down to check out the dirtiest players in the NBA today.

Dwyane Wade

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Even the third-best shooting guard to ever play the game is not free from this slander. Although Dwyane Wade is a likable player, he’s had a handful of plays in career that have left fans confused. Whether it’s him sending a knee to an opposing player's groin area, purposely throwing his arm at an opponent's head, or taking retaliation shots, D-Wade has gotten himself caught up in some dirty plays. Granted, he’s had a long career and there will always be heated plays along the way, but he went too far on a number of occasions.

Steven Adams

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For some reason, a lot of NBA players just don’t like Steven Adams. During the 2013-14 season alone, six players were ejected for hitting him. Is it because of his bone-crunching screens? His New Zealand accent? His inability to shave? He’s been hit in the groin twice by Draymond Green and once by Joe Ingles and has gotten into numerous scuffles, most recently with Khris Middleton.

But let’s not paint Adams as a victim. He’s had his fair share of mishaps. Earlier this season, he sent a karate kick to Bradley Beal’s private parts, and in 2016, NBA players and coaches rated him the second dirtiest player in the league. A Western conference coach once told the Los Angeles Times that "the stuff that he does is not cool. He throws elbows, extra hitting dudes away from the ball, hitting them with the chicken wing [elbow] and trying to get a rise out of them." That may be the reason why he’s drawn so many ejections.

Patrick Beverley

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Patrick Beverley is a straight-up bully. He’ll do anything to get on your nerves and in your head. NBA fans will never forget Beverly taking Russell Westbrook out of the 2013 Playoffs after charging at him when Westbrook was clearly about to take a timeout.

Let’s not forget when he went full WWE mode on Mike Conley, either.

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Although he can be a bit over the top at times, Beverley’s tactics are pretty effective as he’s one of the best on-ball defending point guards in the league, if not the best. It was a shame to see him leave Houston last summer because the Westbrook/Beverly playoff beef was quite the show.

Chris Paul

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Chris Paul is the king of groin shots. It all started at Wake Forest when Paul blatantly wound up and threw a haymaker right into the private spot of former NC State star Julius Hodge.

Paul would receive a one-game suspension for his antics, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing this on the next level. He can use his small stature as an excuse one time, but when you’re continuously grabbing or targeting another man’s crotch, you've got some problems. Chris Kaman, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gobert have all been victims of CP3’s nutcrackers. It’s fair to say, you should probably wear a cup when Paul comes to town.

Kelly Olynyk

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Kelly Olynyk first stepped into the NBA spotlight when he ripped Kevin Love’s shoulder out of its socket and essentially ended the Cavaliers’ chances of winning an NBA title in the 2015 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. If you thought Olynyk’s play was just a basketball play and a coincidence, he did it again last season against the Bulls. And then there’s last postseason when Olynyk caught the hit stick from Kelly Oubre after his bush league screen. When Draymond Green has the nerve to call you dirty, then you’re probably not innocent.

Serge Ibaka

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Serge Ibaka could take no losses when he first started dating Keri Hilson in 2012, but that has been far from the case. He’s as dirty as it gets, and like Chris Paul, he seems to have no limits. You can make an excuse for punching a player in the sack once, but doing it twice to the same player within a year is just ridiculous. Ask Blake Griffin.

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Not to mention, Ibaka is a terrific instigator, starting on-court fights with just about everyone in the league. Unfortunately for him, his most recent battle against James Johnson didn’t end well for Ibaka. Ibaka foolishly messed with one of the few guys in the NBA you shouldn’t mess with and he caught a two-piece from the black belt.

Matthew Dellavedova

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Delly has a built an NBA career out of being "scrappy," but I guess that’s just another word for dirty. Is Delly actually a good NBA player? Eh, but his energy and aggressiveness bring something to the table. He first stepped onto the national scene in the 2015 NBA Finals, filling in for Kyrie Irving. He has the full résumé of delivering cheap shots, hurting players, and earning multiple ejections. Now that he’s out of Cleveland and sitting on a healthy contract, you would think he’d tone it down a bit. Nope. Delly is still up to no good in Milwaukee—and as you can see in the clip above, John Wall is not surprised one bit.

Draymond Green

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If CP3 is the king of groin shots, Draymond Green is not far behind. The man got away with nailing Steven Adams in his nuts twice in the same series and after all the backlash he received, he followed it up by swinging at LeBron’s nuts, which probably cost the Warriors a title. Green is a great all-around player and great all-around pest, but it gets to be too much at times.

Zaza Pachulia

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It’s surprising that Zaza Pachulia doesn’t have a bounty on him yet. When he plays dirty, he’s going at your superstar player, and he’ll show no remorse. He’s tried to injure Kawhi Leonard twice—first as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and then as a Warrior. He’s had some dirty plays on Russell Westbrook as well. Is there anybody that isn’t a Warriors fan that actually likes Pachulia? He may be the least talented player on a roster that features JaVale McGee, and it seems like he's only on the court to wreak havoc with his cheap shots and illegal screens. His teammate Kevin Durant claimed that he’s just clumsy. But really? That’s the best you can come up with? The tape doesn’t lie. Zaza is the dirtiest player in the NBA.

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